I've used that pattern a lot this past season - the hurl holds up pretty well for the abuse/use I've given mine. It's an easy fix too, if you want to repair/replace damaged stuff.

good looking bugs BTW

Be sparce with the yellow - it can overpower the fly quickly. I've used fluorescent green & blue in some of my variants, they too can overpower. I like to top it off with olive & hurl no matter what colors I use on the rest.

I use this pattern quite a bit in the early spring. They say sparse is better, so... I have tied up a dozen full. In the spring I'll report back on the success. I've had very good luck with a gold wrap on the shank and gold thread. Perhaps Lefty could advise how the red gill worked.

I have no results yet on the red gill effect. Last season went pretty much like this:

Sparse Chart clousers in the spring
Deep Eel (AKA:Real Eel: Olive sand eel patterns) June and July
Regular Rays pattern to grab a few finnicky schoolies on the flats during the dog days,
then the wide Juvis to finish the fall blitzes.

So I didn't get enough time in with the "Red Rays". Oh well, spring is coming.

Hi
I came across this thread and was very interested in the fly design and discussion. I have been experimenting tying Temple Dogs.
The dressing is
Hook 1.5" tube. I make mine from cotton swabs.
Equip with a piece of silicone tubing and single or treble tube fly hook according to taste or rules.
Thread Black
Butt Yellow wool (I use the underfur from the icelandic sheep used for the wing)
Body Silver tinsel
Rib Oval silver tinsel
Body hackle Brown cocks hackle
Wing Polar bear, icelandic sheep (yellow and orange), peacock herl
Front hackle Furnace hen hackle
Cheeks (optional) Jungle cock
Head Black.

If I can attach a photo you should see the similarity. I to wondered how the peacock hearl would stand to long casting so I am relieved to hear it lasts well.

Your pictures inspired me to tie up some Ray's flies this morning. Thanks.

As for the red gill - I like it. For those who are speed tying consider using a white or a pale yellow thread to tie the tapered head on your fly and then use a fine tip, red magic marker for a red gill effect. If I am going to use white or yellow thread I also put a black stripe on the top of the head. This makes the peacock herl look like it continues to the eye of the hook.

Using markers is an obvious way to add the red gill and I like it because it is quick.

Capt. Gordon, looks like a little clouser action for your "rays". I like that. As a matter of fact, I've used a similar fly on a small hook for winter holdovers on Cape Cod. Works nicely. Even with a little "red gill" "tied" in.

What I do on those is to wrap the head of the fly with HT Rib from Gudebrod. It is wire inside a silver mylar material and gives a nice weight to the head. Then I stick the bugged out eyes on and coat with epoxy. Good albie fly. Only one I used this past year for all my charters.